Hem Of Your Garment
by MadhouseChaos
Summary: An 8 sweep old Tavros leaves to adventure with Vriska on his newly replaced legs, but when he returns a lot of things seem to have changed. This is going to be sad, you have been warned
1. Chapter 1

You have grown since Equius first made you a pair of these metallic legs. Your shoulders have broadened, they aren't feminine like they were at 6 sweeps, the most of your torso is hardened muscle, you do your best to work out. You still wish to be a Cavalreaper, as you have since you were a wriggler, but since you got your robot legs you've really been training hard. That is probably the main reason for them having broken down like they did. They were still usable, but most of the time it had just become easier to roam around in your wheelchair. He tells you these are more flexible. That he is working on a stable, usable rocket boot feature. One that wouldn't send you flying out into nowhere. He mentions another feature or two that you would rather not think about, but eventually you will have to visit the subject because the prototype is installed in this model. He sweated a lot when he told you about it. You are not at all comfortable with that, but really you are not very comfortable with him in general, and by 'not very' you mean not at all.

Gamzee requested he make you new ones. He had him make the last ones too. He is always looking out for you. You are going to have to thank him the next time you see him. You are excited to thank him. Maybe he'll finally want to be your moirail. You are so pale for him it is absolutely ridiculous. He is your best bro. He supports you. You rap together, play together, sometimes you adventure together. The adventuring usually turns into you starting off in one direction and him following you until he spots something 'wicked' or 'miraculous' and the two of you stopping to examine it for hours. You don't mind. It's fun usually.

Equius finishes explaining how to use the new features pretty quickly. You stand up and stretch. You manage this surprisingly well. He gives you some underhanded compliments along the lines of "D-Decent for a lowb100d." while you prance around his hive avoiding eye contact with his muscle-beast paintings. You have to call them art around him. You are not big on that, they creep you out. A certain new feature to the legs were adapted from them. That pretty much freaks you out beyond all reason and almost makes you want to _not_ wear them. Almost. You gush out thank yous to your mechanic. He goes off to get towels while you exit. It is convenient you are only a few lawnrings away from him. In fact you think the farthest friend or acquaintance you have is only about nine away from you. All of the convenience. It is yours.

Right now you are pretty pumped to get back to your hive and show off your shiny new limbs to Tinkerbull. He will be excited for you, as he was when you first got a new pair, when you started showing muscle-tone, when you shaved your fluffy muss of sheep-woof-beast hair into a nice clean Mohawk. You felt so cool all three of those times. The only other one who was even kind of excited for you every time was Gamzee, other trolls were happy, yes, but Gamzee was practically euphoric. That is, you think he was, he may have just felt the need to pick you up, spin you around, and allow the two of you to fall down into a pile.

Your lusus reacts as you much expected him to. You decide to check your trollian messages.

AG:Tavroooooooos

AG: ::::)

AG:Someone told me that you got a fresh new pair of legs toreasnore!

AG:You want to test those 8a8ies out?

AG:Of course you do who am I kidding

AG:Just meet me at the edge of the forest and we'll go adventuring!

AT:uH,,, i WAS GOING TO GO, uHH, tHANK gAMZEE ACTUALLY BUT, uH,,, i SUPPOSE i COULD DO THIS FIRST,,, mAYBE,

Your computer tings to alert you of another conversation.

AA:tavr0s

AA:i suggest y0u refrain fr0m j0ining her

AA:from adventuring with vriska that is

AT:hELLO, uH, aRADIA,,

AT:iTS A LITTLE, uH, cREEPY HOW YOU KNOW THIS STUFF,,

AT:bUT IM SURE IT, uH, WILL BE FINE,,, aCTUALLY,,

AA:i supp0se i cann0t st0p y0u

You'll be fine. You know you will. Vriska probably has something not so adventure-like planned, but you have Rufio convinced that you can take her, which means you are convinced you can take her if something bad happens. By convinced you mean you know you can take her. You can maneuver a lance with the best of them. You might be the best of them. Maybe. Then you really don't know any trolls that use lances in real life. Only in books and stuff. You don't think you could beat Pupa Pan in a round of strife, but then he can fly, so that's not really fair. Not to mention that he uses a dagger and you would not want to be fighting with him. You'd want him to fly you to the paradise planet and sprinkle special stardust into your face.

You captchalogue a few things you think you might need, which does include a Pupa Pan shirt and hat. She likes to Flarp, and even though you don't really do it much anymore, because of her really, you can play along a little. At least until it gets too serious. You're sure you can get away. It's not like you haven't practiced very long on these new legs or anything. Nothing bad can possibly happen. You'll just get some new fresh material for the Alternian slam poetry you do with Gamzee. You still really want him to be your moirail. You don't know why he doesn't want to, and by don't know you mean you have a theory. That is, he suggested sloppy make-outs once when you said you were going to come visit him, and sloppy make-outs suggest either red or black feelings, and seeing as that the two of you are bros flushed romance is the most obvious reason why he would turn down all of your many attempts at pale romance. That is ridiculous though. Why would he be red for you, he is a 'highb100d' for Jegus's sake.

You dismiss that thought once you reach the edge of the tree-line. You feel like something is watching you but you can't really see or hear anyone. You equip your lance.

* * *

Lets outline some basics of the au: The 12 trolls live closer together-They still talk with the humans, though now it is pretty much lateral time wise for everyone-The game has been put off for about 3 sweeps, and has not started yet-I think that's all you need to know? If something else comes it I'll put it in another note

Ahahaha It's only pbj right now if you squint really hard and even then it's one-sided pale and one-sided red.

Also. WHY YOU NO LISTEN TO GHOST ARADIA


	2. Chapter 2

You turn around and around for awhile, striped white and brown lance in hand. You probably look stupid. You don't care, better to look stupid than to get hurt because you weren't paying attention. Then you hear arguing off to your right. You look in that direction to find the used-to-be Scourge Sisters yelling at each other. You breathe a sigh of relief and your weapon is returned to your strife secubus. Both of them are in their flarping outfits, or well, Terezi says her's is her legislacerater uniform now. Which is true enough, that is what she does, that is what she wears when she does it. You think that probably makes Vriska's duds her pirate uniform. That sounds silly.

"1 WOULD OBV1OUSLY L34V3 JUST B3C4US3 YOU S41D SO! 4ND BY TH4T 1 M34N NO 1M NOT L34V1NG M1SS BLU3 R4SB3RRY SURPR1S3"

"Well you diiiiiiiid come just 8ecause little miss gloom and doom told you to, how would I know you weren't just bliiiiiiiindly following everyone's orders. Isn't that a legislacerater specialty or something?"

"NO 1TS NOT 1F 4NYTH1NG 1T 1S TH3 3X4CT OPPOS1T3 OF MY SP3C14L1TY 4ND 44 JUST 4SK3D M3 TO SH3 D1DNT G3T H3R PR3TTY L1COR1C3 BL4CK P4NT13S 1N 4 TW1ST 4ND BOSS M3 4ROUND "

"Why th8 hell do y8u know th8t?"

"SHHH 1 SM3LL CHOCOL4T3"

"uH,,, hI,,"

"Hey toreasnore, you ready to adventure?"

"yES,, uH,, yOU COULD SAY THAT i AM,, uH,, mORE THAT READY,,, aCTUALLY,,"

You head into the trees, them walking side by side and you lingering a few paces behind them. You may be trying to up your bravery a little at a time, but it's safer and smarter to lag in this case. They aren't very happy with each other right now, less happy than usual rather. They'll probably end up strifing pretty soon, and since Vriska's attacks are varying and chaotic, being near them is not a good idea. Being in the same forest while they fight is not a good idea, but then, you are pretty sure you can handle it. Rufio says you can. You wonder if you should change your clothes to your flarping outfit. Your robotic lower half kind of makes finding someplace private to change unnecessary, so you could do so while they duke it out. Vriska might tease you, she likes to use 'Pupa' as an insult. If they really get into it you won't actually get to do much. They will probably really get into it.

You decide against an outfit change. You look up to find that Terezi has turned her cane into that weird nun-chuck thing she uses. You take a few steps back. Vriska throws her dice. A large guillotine appears, Terezi dodges it pretty easily, but struggles with some trees it chops down. You hear screeches and chattering. You hold your fingers up to your temples and smirk. You calm down the animals affected by that attack. Send all of the close by creatures anywhere but around the two warring trolls. You think this will probably last quite awhile. Terezi is all endurance, and all Vriska has to do is dodge and throw those little blue things around.

You work a little further away and jump up to grab on to a tree branch. With a little effort you hoist yourself up and use it as a perch to watch them fight it out. Maybe you'll get to spar with one of them later. You can't decide which one you would rather strife with. Terezi is better at close combat than the other Scourge Sister, and your usual lance is only about a foot and a half long, but she would do her best not to seriously hurt you if she was winning. You aren't sure who would, probably her, it's hard to try not to do real damage with a big pointy cone on a stick. You haven't done much more but literal sparring with her since you stopped flarping, and by stopped you mean you still do pretty much everything involved except keep a score and such. You dress up. You strife with people. So on so forth. Back to the point. Now, Vriska wouldn't even kind of try to keep from killing you. Even if she is always hinting at red feelings for you. Black feelings for you. Red feelings for you. She doesn't seem set on either for too long. You don't want either. Her attacks are really random too. You aren't the best at dodging when you don't know what the attack will be, and new legs will make it even harder until you get used to them. Not to mention that she's really good at nabbing your weapon. She's not physically stronger than you. You don't really understand how she does that.

You space out a bit, considering each of their abilities. All of your abilities. You think you would lose. You don't really have much confidence in anything you do. You think that maybe you could possibly put up a good fight. Maybe. You bet Rufio could beat anyone. He's so cool. He's not real. Kanaya told you you should name your confidence sweeps ago to help build it. It's worked, but it also gave Vriska more fuel to haze you with. You don't think you can give him up now though. He makes you feel good about yourself. Even if only a little bit.

You feel a sudden impact and fall off of your branch. You grab at nothing but manage to land fairly gracefully on your hands and one knee. You look up. The kind-of-nun-chucks fly past your head. You dash over to grab them and toss them back at Terezi as soon as you see an opening. Her sleeves and a section of her clothes running from her stomach to her knees are slashed sporadically, and teal blood runs from some of the tears. "H3H3H3!" she calls back at you with a wink. Vriska yells something foul at you. You swallow hard.

You look up at the sky. The moons are a really long way from where they were when you came over here. They must have been at it for at least an hour. You wonder how they're still going. You wonder how you managed to stare into nothing for that long. Maybe you just caught it from Gamzee. He can space with the best of them. He is the best of them probably. As far as dazers go. It's cute in a wriggler sort of way. He's so easily distracted by the least of things, and he always thinks there is something wonderful in whatever it is he's staring at. Even if that something is usually just a particularly shiny rock or a rather bright flower. Sometimes you feel like you need to protect his whimsical innocence, which you are convinced is innocence despite the raunchy nature of most of his slam poetry. That's why you want to be his moirail, well, one of many reasons. He seems keen on having Karkat as one though. Even though Karkat talks to him like dirt. You frown.

Then Vriska is in front of you. You hop back and draw your lance, she knocks it away and slaps you really hard. "Th8t's for h8lping her ch8at!" You hear chuckling. You notice she's gripping her robotic arm, which is now more like one fourth of an arm. Sometimes you wonder if there are nerves built in it. She always acts like she is seriously hurt when it's damaged. You look around for Terezi and find her a few steps behind. She's bleeding a lot. Now that you look Vriska's bleeding a lot too. There is teal and cerulean dripping everywhere. You purse your lips. You guess you're all done here. Who can help? You aren't around for the more serious Strifes, you don't know who usually does. You suppose Equius does pretty good with medical stuff as well as robotics, seeing as you didn't die from having your lower half chainsawed off.

"uH,, lETS,,, gO BACK,,, i THINK, uH eQUIUS CAN,, pATCH YOU UP,,, pROBABLY,"

* * *

Tavros is the best nurse.

Paging nurse Ta-Nit. (I really hope everyone gets the reference and I'm not alone laughing)


	3. Chapter 3

"D- Greetings lowb100d"

"uH, hI eQUIUS,,, cAN WE,, cOME IN,"

He peeks over your shoulder to see the two wounded trolls behind you, and offers a nod before opening the door all the way and walking off to a cardboard box on the floor, which he promptly started yanking cloths out of. "D- I will assume that you require my assistance patching yourselves up, so to speak" he calls back, pulling out a towel with which he promptly wipes a layer of sweat from his face. It isn't very effective, he sweats all the time, and the perspiration that had been removed is quickly replaced by a fresh batch of the stuff. You carefully maneuver around broken bits of robot to get closer to him.

"Yeah. Whatever, just make with the 8andaging 8efore we're swimming around in a fucking pool of cerulean swill."

"VR1SK4 STOP B3ING RUD3."

"W8ll I'm soooooooo sorry that 8leed8ng out p8ts me in a 8ad mood."

"uH,, iS THERE ANYTHING, i, uH,,, cOULD DO TO,,, hELP,"

"D-Retrieve the red case from beneath that work table"

You do as you are told as Equius passes the two girls towels and gives them directions on which wounds to wipe off and which ones to hold pressure on. It takes a bit for you to climb around the scraps of metal and shredded wire on the floor. You grab up the plastic case and bite your lower lip as you head back towards the group. Terezi still has her usual wide, almost manic smile on her face despite all of her injuries and the pain they must be causing her. It creeps you out more than a little, a lot more than you would ever admit. Brave people aren't scared because their friends smile, Rufio would be disappointed in you.

You hold the now open case in front of you while Equius rummages through it, trying his best to be gentle and not break anything inside. He probably also has to try really hard not to knock you over when he reaches in. His lips shift to the side and he presses one hand against his neck. There's something weird about him. Weirder than normal. Well, more like, as weird as before but in an entirely different way. The Scourge Sisters don't seem to notice, but they're still focused on bickering even as rags and towels are soaked with teal and cerulean blue. You swallow a lump in your throat and try to figure out what is different, but you can't. He rubs his throat when he finishes bandaging the trolls in front of him.

"TH4NKS EQU1US 1 GU3SS W3 OW3 YOU ON3 OR SOM3TH1NG L1K3 TH4T. H3H3H3 H3H3H3" Terezi cackles out as she leaves, Vriska close behind her, and you trying to do the same before you are grabbed roughly by the leg, which you suppose is more like gentle for the blue-blood snagging you back into his hive and shutting the door. He lets go and you just stand there staring at him while he straightens up to standing. There used to be a big height difference between the two of you, but right now you are just as tall as him, in fact, you might have a few inches on him. You smile inwardly at the thought. You frown outwardly because you aren't sure what's going on and you aren't sure you like it. In fact you're pretty sure you don't.

"uH,,"

"D- I request you visit the highb100d soon"

"gAMZEE,, i, uH,, wAS GOING TO ANYWAY,,, aCTUALLY,,, bUT,, wHY,,"

"D- I should have e%pected as much D- In fact now that I e%amine the situation it was rather f001ish of me to have thought otherwise"

"wELL,, uH,, i DONT THINK ITS,, uH, p,, pARTICULARLY FOOLISH,, bUT,, oKAY i GUESS,"

"D-You have my permission to resume your exit lowb100d"

"uH,,, tHANKS,, i THINK,"

Once you are out of his hive it does not take you long to find the 'highb100d' he recommended you talk with. Gamzee is sitting outside of your hive, leaning against the side of it. If it was anyone else doing so you would have marked it as strange. Since it's Gamzee you let it slip by as perfectly normal. At least until you get closer and see that he is shaking, that his face is buried into his knees, and you hear the way he is mumbling to himself. You quietly approach the gangly troll as he alternates between whispers and a normal tone. You kneel beside him and attempt to put your arm around him, but he notices before you can and scurries away from you. "no."

You flinch in shock. He didn't let you hug him. There's got to be something horribly wrong because he is touchy-feely to everyone, or rather, mostly to you and Karkat, but still. He would usually let anyone hug him that would try to, and you haven't the slightest clue what could be wrong that he wouldn't allow that. "gAMZEE,," you breath, furrowing your eyebrows at him as he stares at you wide-eyed and almost frightened. _You_ are frightened for him. "a,,,aRE YOU OKAY,,, uH,," You reach out to try and pet back his wavy tangles mess of hair and he backs further away, shaking his head roughly. The fear is gone out of his face. He looks almost sad but not quite. His make-up seems different but you can't place how.

"don't you get and motherfucking touch me tav. DONT YOU EVEN GET A FUCKING THOUGHT ON TO GETTING ALL AND UP TO THIS HERE MOTHERFUCKER. You all and got a good hold going to that rust blood brother?"

"uH,,"

"FUCK THERE YOU ARE"

Your lip trembles. Karkat storms up to him and he climbs on to him clinging hard. You're worried about Gamzee, but the way he is acting and how he just talked to you feel like a punch in the gut. He doesn't want _you_ to touch him. It's not that whatever is bothering him makes him not want anyone near him. He doesn't want _you _to help him. You specifically. He wants Karkat, like he always has. You bite back at how you feel because you are going to make yourself confident, and confident is not bursting into tears because the troll you want to be your moirail wants someone else to comfort him. Confident is taking it in stride. Even if the one he wants to comfort him does not even come close to deserving it because he talks to him like he is useless and stupid and like he doesn't matter. He matters a lot. He's the only one that ever makes you feel truly important.

"GET OFF OF ME YOU BLATHERING FUCK FACE YOURE GETTING YOUR FUCKING MAKE UP ALL OVER ME SHIT WHAT THE FUCK DID I EVEN DO IN SOME GOG DAMNED PAST LIFE TO DESERVE A MOIRAIL AS FUCKING SHITTY AS YOU"

Moirail. They're moirails. Your mouth goes dry. Maybe that's the problem. Maybe he doesn't want you to do anything that even borders on pale for him because he has that quadrant filled already. Maybe he only told you that you mattered and that you were special before in that thickly-sweet voice of his because you were a fall back in case Karkat didn't come through. Maybe now that he has you aren't needed. Maybe that's why Gamzee was acting strangely. Maybe he was sitting outside your hive because he wanted to tell you in person that he doesn't want anything to do with you anymore. Maybe you're lucky you were beside that hive because you are dashing into it right now because even if you can't take it anymore and you are perfectly aware you are going to cry you are at least going to do it alone.

Maybe Vriska was right calling you all those names, telling you how useless you are, and especially for throwing you off a cliff.

* * *

How do you Equius.

How do you make Tavros cry without it seeming sissy-like?

It wasn't intended to be that way. D:


	4. Chapter 4

It took him three days to contact you. Three fucking days. Three days you pretty well much spent alone. Tinkerbull was with you, but you suppose he doesn't really count since he is your lusus. He_ is_ a much better companion than most lusii you know of though. You swallow down a lump as you sit in front of your computer screen, mouse pointed at the trollian icon. You can't make yourself click it, instead you stare down the little indigo capricorn symbol. Three days and you can't even click a stupid icon to see what he has to say for himself, or if he even remembers what happened in his sopor-induced stupor. You've made a habit out of letting Rufio down.

You wet your lips. Tinkerbull shifts around a bit in your lap, he looks up at you like he wants you to get on with it. You're going to have to do it eventually anyway, right? Your throat is a little sore and your sight balls burn like fire, and not the awesome sick kind, the painfully dry kind with a lot of oxygen fueling it. You take in a deep breath and squeeze your eyelids shut, pressing down the button and being rewarded with a slight tinging noise. You'll have to give in eventually. Eventually is the key word. Was it just a few days ago you were excited to see him? To thank him for your leg upgrade. You open your peanut-butter brown eyes.

TC:TaVrOs yOu uP AnD OkAy yO?

TC:ThIs hErE MoThErFuCkEr aIn'T So mUcH AnD SeEn yOu fOr a ReAl LoNg WhIlE.

TC:TaV?

TC: :o(

Your eyebrows furrow in confusion. Your stomach does weird flips. He's worried about you? No he can't be. He doesn't want anything to do with you. He seems worried. Maybe he's faking it to mess with you? Guilt smacks you across the face. That's something that Vriska would, and has, done to you. Pretending to be friendly, acting like she cared, only to reveal later that it was a joke and make you feel worse about yourself than you already had. Every time you thought you just couldn't have lower self confidence, that even if she did lie that it wouldn't hurt anymore, then you were proven wrong. You shake your head, that's the kind of thing _she_ would do and you are an ass for even grazing around the thought that Gamzee would do something like that.

AT:iM FINE,, gAMZEE.

AT:jUST,,, uH, rEALLY CONFUSED,

TC:ThAtS BiTcHtItS wIcKeD TaVvY.

TC:ExCePt fOr tHe rEaL CoNfUsEd pArT I MeAn.

TC: HoNk

TC: WhAt wEnT AbOuT GeTtInG YoUr tHiNk pAn iN A WaD bRo?

AT:wELL,,,

AT:yOU,, aCTUALLY

AT:i, uH,,, i DONT UNDERSTAND,, wHY YOU WOULDNT,, uH,, aLLOW ME TO COME IN CONTACT WITH YOU,, aT ALL,,

AT:tHAT IS TO SAY,,, uH,, yOU USUALLY WOULD,, iNITIATE A LOT OF PHYSICAL CONTACT YOURSELF,, aND,,,

TC:I DoNt wAnT YoU To tOuCh mE.

AT:uH,,

TC: I'm eVeRy kInD Of sOrRy gOiNg aNd bEiNg eXiStInG AnD ShIt.

TC: BuT I DoN't wAnT YoU DoInG ThAt.

AT:gAMZEE,,

AT:,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

AT:,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

You have one hand over your mouth. You had him back and it was great. You only had him back for all of four fucking seconds though. You think you didn't appreciate how he was with you before as much as you should have then. You whimper but you think you're pretty well much done actually crying over it. You try to figure out if you did something wrong, something that hurt him. He seems to be fine aside from that stuff right now. Maybe you crossed some boundary the last time you hung out with him? You feel along your muscled arms. You could have accidentally hurt him. You very easily could have. He's all bone and you have actual tone and formidable strength. Did you break something? You set your fingers back on the keyboard.

TC:FuCk.

TC:TaVrOs pLeAsE DoN't uP AnD HaTe mE.

AT:hATE YOU,,

AT:i COULD, uH,, nEVER HATE YOU,,

AT:aND THATS,, uH NOT ENTIRELY,, BECAUSE,, iM PRETTY SURE THAT,, Uh,, i AM NOT REALLY THAT CAPABLE OF HATE

TC:no wait maybe you should get on to hating me.

TC:YEAH MOTHERFUCKER YOU OUGHTA FUCKING DESPISE ME!

TC:i got a good hold onto knowing i deserve it real motherfucking well.

TC:I REALLY MOTHERFUCKING DESERVE THAT SHIT TAVROS.

AT:gAMZEE NO,

AT:wHY ARE YOU,,, uH,, tYPING LIKE THAT,,

AT:nO,, uH,, nEVERMIND THATS BESIDE THE POINT,,

TC:SHIT FUCK WHAT DID YOU DO

AT:uHH,,,,,,

TC:DAMMIT YOU FUCKING USELESS CRIPPLE AUGH

TC:EXCUSE ME WHILE I FLIP MY SHIT EVERYWHERE

TC:GOD DAMNED JUGGALO WONT CALM THE FUCK DOWN

TC:SHIT FUCK FUCK

TC:FUCKITY FUCK FUCK FUCK

AT:kARKAT,,,

TC:YES HELLO THAT IS ME

TC:OH IM ON HIS CLIENT

TC:FUCK WHATEVER

CG:THERE BETTER

AT:uH,,

CG:WHAT THE FUCK IS IT

CG:AND BY THAT I MEAN SPIT IT OUT INSTEAD OF DOING YOUR ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY RIDICULOUS PRISSY STUTTERING

AT:iM,, cONFUSED,

CG:IM BUSY

CG:JUST TAKE WHATEVER THE HELL YOU SAID TO HIM TO AND NEVER SAY IT AGAIN

CG:GOT THAT NOOK STAIN

AT:uH,,

CG:IM GOING TO TAKE THAT AS A FIRM YES MISTER VANTAS PLEASE DONT SMITE ME

CG:I AM AWARE YOU ARE ALL POWERFUL AND I WILL GO COWER IN THE CORNER NOT SAYING WHATEVER THE FUCK I JUST SAID

You are beyond confused. You read over the chat log over and over. It still doesn't make sense. You nibble at your lip a bit. You probably should have tried to talk to him, or well, anyone, instead of wallowing around in self pity and lack of self worth. Not for your sake. Gamzee might've needed you. He might still need you. You should have asked some-one what was wrong with him. You take the time to clean up and change your clothes before you head out the door. It's dark out, and you're glad it is because you hadn't actually checked before you opened the door and you would've walked out into the blinding heat of the sun if it hadn't been. The sun _isn't_ out though, so you nervously make your way over to your best friend's hive with your sight in tact. Even if you aren't _his_ best friend, you're sure you can do _something_. Well, you hope.

You bite your lip and shift around nervously before knocking on the door. It opens, and you think it did so on it's own until you realize that you need to look down to see who let you in. A short, broad-shouldered Karkat glares up at you. "FUCK" he groans, "LOOK IF YOU WALK YOUR STUPID METAL ASS IN HERE YOU HAD VERY FUCKING WELL BEHAVE YOURSELF I HAVE BEEN CALMING THAT IDIOTIC ASS CLOWN FOR DAYS" You nod and he steps out of the way so you can get past him.

"uH,,, cOULD YOU MAYBE,, eXPLAIN WHATS GOING ON,, iF IT ISNT,, uH,, tOO MUCH TROUBLE,"

"TaVbRo?"

Your eyes turn to see Gamzee smiling his usual dopey grin. He stands up eagerly and you think he is about to run to you, you brace yourself for a tackling hug that never comes. He suddenly stops about half way to you and frowns pitifully. "uH,, aRE YOU,,, oKAY?" you manage. He nods forcefully, his tangled hair bobbing up and down at a slightly faster pace than the rest of his head. You try to offer him a reassuring smile, but you're pretty sure you just look pained. Then again, he looks that way too. "uH,,"

"I ReAlLy uP AnD MiSsEd yOu tAvRoS."

"iTS ONLY BEEN A,, fEW DAYS,, bUT,, uH,, i,, mISSED YOU TOO, aCTUALLY,,"

He smiles again.

* * *

Probably won't be updating anything until saturday after next.

Feel free to lynch me for it.

(No don't I'm lying)


End file.
